Dutchmen Baseball Returns Hungry Season-Opening Sweep Against Vassar

Kevin+Chaimowitz+21+at+bat.+Photo+Courtesy+of+Ross+LaDue

Kevin Chaimowitz ’21 at bat. Photo Courtesy of Ross LaDue

Tyler Mar, Staff Writer

On Saturday, April 4th, the Union College Men’s Baseball team started their long-awaited 2021 season with a double-header against Vassar College at Shuttleworth Park. Saturday afternoon’s pair of games started with a bang! The Dutchmen defeated the visiting Brewers in both Game 1 and Game 2 by scores of 8-1 and 10-5, respectively.

Eager to return to play, seniors Kevin Chaimowitz ’21 and Colin Kelly ’21, combined for four home runs and nine runs batted on Saturday afternoon. Union (2-0) hit five home runs as a team and made quick work of the Brewer’s bullpen. Chaimowitz led this weekend’s doubleheaders by going 4-for-6 with two homers, five RBIs, and three runs scored, while Kelly batted in four and scored four times. They received help from fellow senior William Bellamy ’21 who homered and drove in two as part of a 3-for-5 day accompanied by a pair of walks. In Game 1, junior James Salemme ’22 shut down the Vassar offense, limiting the Brewers’ bats to one hit while striking out nine over five innings. Junior Chris Murdock ’22 started in Game 2 and pitched for four innings. He allowed three runs (two earned) while striking out eight batters.

The highlight of the Saturday season-opening sweep was Kevin Chaimowitz’s Game 2 Grand Slam over the left-center wall. After two scoreless innings, Dutchmen offense came alive as Chaimowitz’s Grand Slam launched Union into the lead. Vassar responded with one run in the top of the fourth, but the Dutchmen retaliated by giving the bottom half by taking advantage of a
wild pitch and an error before freshman Noah Schott ’24 delivered a two-run single. Fellow freshman Sebastian Pike ’24 batted in Union’s final run of the afternoon with an RBI single in the fifth inning of Game 2.

Kevin Chaimowitz and Jame Salemme earned conference honors for their performances. Chaimowitz was named Liberty League Player of the Week while Salemme was named Liberty League Pitcher of the Week.

The Union Dutchmen are looking forward to the upcoming season and are optimistic about their prospects! They return to action next Sunday for a non-conference doubleheader at SUNY Oneonta.